Former Premier League star claims Kylian Mbappe and Neymar are turning PSG into a 'toxic circus'

Former Premier League midfielder Craig Burley has claimed that the alleged feud between Kylian Mbappe and Neymar is turning the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) dressing room toxic.

Kylian Mbappe and Neymar have seemingly been at odds with each other since it emerged that the former wanted to force the latter out of the club in the summer. The PSG superstars were also involved in an argument over a penalty in the team's 5-2 win against Montpellier earlier in the season.

Talk of a rift between the two has become a major talking point in the media once again in recent days. Many believe Mbappe's 'sleep well, eat well' message after the Parisians' loss to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League was aimed at Neymar.

Kylian Mbappé: “Everyone needs to be healthy, sleep well, eat well. We can do something there. If we are more offensive, they are uncomfortable. Let’s quickly move on & go again.” (C+)

The Brazilian added fuel to fire by participating in a poker tournament after the defeat against Bayern. He was also seen dining at a fast food restaurant late at night to make things worse.

While Kylian Mbappe has since clarified that his comments were not aimed at his attacking partner, Burley has criticized the PSG duo for their actions. The former Chelsea midfielder believes they have made Les Parisiens a 'toxic circus'.

Kylian Mbappé: “I was never attacking or pointing the finger at Neymar when I mentioned we need to eat & sleep well”. 🔴🔵 #PSG

“I hope Neymar’s injury is not serious, I hope he returns soon — we need him with us”. https://t.co/1dp0xzco33

Burley also insisted that the Parisians are too big for the two forwards. He said on ESPN FC's YouTube channel:

"It's an unnecessary toxic circus. It's not going to change until the personnel changes, it's as simple as that. I'm afraid Paris and PSG are not big enough for the two of them."

"I'm not even considering [Lionel] Messi. Messi does his thing, Messi gets on with it, fit or unfit, available or unavailable, he does his bit. I'm talking about this continuing bickering, making statements that are ambiguous, veiled threats and accusations."

Burley went on to claim that the PSG duo are preventing Christophe Galtier from doing his job properly. He added:

"It's not helping the team, but this scenario was always going to be here this year when Mbappe turned down that Real Madrid move. The two of them in the dressing room, clearly, it's just toxic."

"It's not helping Galtier be able to do his job. It's been the same for almost every manager. Some have handled it better than others, but Galtier is finding out just how difficult it is."

PSG's Kylian Mbappe wishes Neymar speedy recovery

Despite claims of a rift between the two, Kylian Mbappe wished Neymar a speedy recovery after he was stretchered off at the weekend. The 31-year-old twisted his ankle during the 4-3 win against Lille.

The two will be pivotal to the team's chances of beating Bayern on March 8.